Eritrea ‘schools’ Ethiopia minister over illegal U.N. arms sanctions

Eritrea’s Information Minister on Thursday responded to an Ethiopian state minister when she asserted that Eritrea continued to have a disruptive role in the Horn of Africa region.

According to Yemane Ghebre Meskel, Ethiopia was unnecessarily blowing its role in the sanctions which extend to almost a decade ago.

Hirut Zemane, a State Minister for Foreign Affairs claimed that Asmara was still engaged in destabilizing acts and hence the U.N. sanctions if must be lifted should reflect the practical realities.

But Meskel responded in a tweet which read in part: “She must be living in Cuckoo’s land if she really believes that Ethiopia had, or has, any diplomatic clout in this matter.”

He explained further in two tweets the circumstances surrounding what Asmara insists is a series of illegal sanctions. Eritrea has denied the reason for the sanctions – that it backs Somalia insurgents, Al Shabaab.

Ethiopia’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs has blabbered about z “need to maintain” z illicit sanctions on Eritrea to the visiting UNSC/Monitoring Group. She must be living in Cuckoo’s land if she really believes that Ethiopia had, or has, any diplomatic clout in this matter

The truth is z illicit sanctions – that had no basis in law or fact – were imposed against Eritrea in 2009 to serve z political agendas/perceived interests of z US Administration at the time.The underlying calculus transcended the inconsequential wranglings of the TPLF regime.

If UNSC decisions were based on legality and justice, punitive sanctions should have long been applied to Ethiopia, circa 2002, for its flagrant violations of z Algiers Peace Agreement – guaranteed by the UNSC – & the UN Charter on z sovereignty and integrity of UN Member States

Incidentally, the exchange comes at a time the Ethiopian Premier Abiy Ahmed has called for a normalization of relations. Eritrea on the other hand says Ethiopia should respect international obligations and withdraw from Eritrean territory.

The town at the heart of the dispute is Badme. Eritrea says if Ethiopia gives it back, all is well and the two nations can finally put behind them tensions that have divided them for two decades.